Question: If the prayer time enters and my menstruation starts afterwards but I hadn’t prayed, do I have to make up that prayer after my bleeding ends?
Answer:
Bismi Llahir Rahmanir Rahim
Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuhu
In the Hanafi madhhab, the principle of owing prayers revolves around whatever a person’s state is at the end of the prayer time.
It is unlawful for a woman to perform the ritual prayer during her menstruation, and she is not asked to make up any of the prayers missed for the time that is ruled as menstruation.
Consequently, if a woman remains in a state of menstruation at the end of the prayer time, she does not owe the obligatory prayer of that time and there is no need to make up the obligatory prayer after her menstruation ends.
For example, the Zhuhr prayer time enters at 1 pm and exits at 4 pm. If a woman began to menstruate at 2 pm but had not prayed Zhuhr yet, she is not obligated to make up this prayer after her menstruation finishes. The consideration is what state she is in at the end of the prayer time, and she is still menstruating at 4 pm. Therefore, she does not owe the Zhuhr prayer and she is not sinful for missing the prayer either.
However, it must be mentioned that a woman should not purposely delay her prayers. The proper etiquette of a believer is to pray at the earliest part of the prayer time. Even if she knows that her menstruation may start in a few hours, if it is possible for her, she should strive to pray the prayer before her menstruation starts.
To learn more about menstruation, check out our self-paced course: Your Period Questions.
Jazak Allah khayran
Naielah Ackbarali
References:
- Imam ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar
- Imam ibn Abidin, Manhal al-Waridin